Commentary

When a Tough Work Shift Results in Tragedy

There are accidents, incidents, all with a greater or lesser cost to the service. And we don’t lack for explanations—there’s always stupidity, distraction, inattentiveness, defects of one sort or the other, unsafe

Commentary

One Size Truly Doesn’t Fit All

If you ever worked on a railroad and certainly if you have ever been involved in working on railroad safety, you have frequently heard the phrase “one size doesn’t fit all” spoken

Using the 5S methodology, the team at Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pa., began to analyze and catalogue the 70-acre facility. (NS Photograph)
Commentary

NS Deploying 5S Methodology to Advance Safety, Efficiency

5S methodology has helped some of the world’s leading industrial companies improve safety, streamline assets, and increase productivity. The 5S approach, which translated from Japanese, stands for Sort, Set in Order, Standardize, Shine, Sustain. It is designed to help maintain a safe, clean, efficient, and orderly workplace. Now, Norfolk Southern (NS) is bringing those principles to facilities across our network.

Commentary

Celebrating the Clark Family Railroad History

At OmniTRAX, Inc., we take pride in recognizing the incredible railroad legacies within our team. Here, we celebrate Jonathan Clark and his family’s history in the railroad industry. Jonathan’s family legacy traces

Commentary

Good Saves by Team BNSF Provide ‘Peak’ Holiday Performance

Long before holiday wish lists are made, BNSF and our parcel customers are priming for peak season. That’s the busy shipping season, which starts the day after Thanksgiving and goes through Christmas Eve. Volume typically doubles during this timeframe from what we normally see—and that volume must be delivered on time with tight schedules.

Commentary

TTX’s Tom Wells on Driving Down Railcar Maintenance Costs

Despite the below-freezing inclement weather, a respectable number of hearty Midwest railroaders gathered at the Union League Club of Chicago to attend the January meeting of the Western Railway Club. Following tradition,

Commentary

Practice Case or Rate Case?

Three days before Christmas, a coalition of tank car owners asked the Surface Transportation Board (STB) what happened to their complaint. The coalition alleges that Union Pacific’s fee for moving empty tank

Commentary

TD Cowen Surveys: ‘Slight Positive’ Business Growth; ‘Mild Negative’ Railcar Demand

Our Fourth-Quarter 2023 Rail and Rail Equipment Surveys generated a positive read-through for the rail group, albeit with a mild negative for railcar manufacturing. 4Q23 Rail Survey Expected rate increases were +3.4%,

Commentary

VIA Rail Adventures: Two Routes in Quebec

Fifth in a Series: In the first four articles in this series, as well as in a separate article that focused on rail transit and tourist railroads in Canada, I described my

Commentary

Highlights From the MARS Winter 2024 Meeting (Updated with Alan Shaw Video)

The Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) at its 2024 Winter Meeting at the Westin Chicago Lombard celebrated its 100-year anniversary with an attendance of 940, exceeding last year’s record-setting level. The

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